Face masks starting to sell out in downtown San Francisco stores as air quality expected to worsen

A line for air masks and respirators extends throughout the store at Cole Hardware on Fourth Street on Thursday, Nov. 15 in San Francisco, Calif.

A line for air masks and respirators extends throughout the store at Cole Hardware on Fourth Street on Thursday, Nov. 15 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Spud Hilton / The Chronicle

Photo: Spud Hilton / The Chronicle

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A line for air masks and respirators extends throughout the store at Cole Hardware on Fourth Street on Thursday, Nov. 15 in San Francisco, Calif.

A line for air masks and respirators extends throughout the store at Cole Hardware on Fourth Street on Thursday, Nov. 15 in San Francisco, Calif.

Photo: Spud Hilton / The Chronicle

Face masks starting to sell out in downtown San Francisco stores as air quality expected to worsen

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With the Air Quality Index listing Thursday as "very unhealthy" and Friday expected to get worse, it's no surprise that most Bay Area residents are rushing to their local hardware stores for a (hopefully regulation) face mask.

If the number of people walking around with masks outside seems to have increased, it's likely not your imagination. Two stores in the downtown area were sold out, and one confirmed its other locations are experiencing much of the same.

Cole Hardware on Fourth and Mission streets said that much of the week has been filled with a steady stream of customers looking for masks. Thursday, however, became the store's busiest since the Camp Fire first started sending smoke toward the Bay Area. Employees said the line stretched the entirety of its store and back.

"People are trying to buy as many as they can get," said Michael Costa, a sales associate with Cole Hardware. "We've been limiting them at a maximum of four [masks] when we have full stock, but when it gets down to lower, we limit them to two, and then one."

The store set up a separate line at the back of its store for those looking for N95 masks — at its highest demand, there were as many as 75 people in line waiting 30 minutes to purchase a mask Thursday.

"The line was ridiculous, and at that point, we couldn't guarantee that you'd get anything," Costa said of the crowds.

Those willing to shell out the money and wanting to bypass the line for N95s, purchased one of the store's line of 3M professional respirators, which are generally used to protect from mold, lead and sprays, according to the 3M site. The dual-cartridge respirator costs as much as $50 at Cole Hardware, but that didn't stop customers from buying out the store's stock of the pricier brand.

By about 3 p.m., any form of masks sold by Cole Hardware was completely sold out. Employees at the store were answering the phones with the pre-emptive declaration, "We're sold out of masks" before chatting with customers on the line about any other inquiries.

As for whether other parts of San Francisco are seeing the same crowds looking for masks? Costa said they are selling out, as well.

"They're saying exactly the same thing, and they are literally selling out just as fast as we are," Costa said. "I thought that we'd have more people here, but no. The families out in the neighborhood districts are doing the same, just freaking out the same way. Even in Rockridge store."

The store was hoping for a late shipment of masks to meet the evening demand, but are expecting to have fresh stock at the downtown location by the time the store opens Friday morning.

At Target in the Metreon, although managers would not speak on the record, employees confirmed they were also sold out of the masks as of Thursday afternoon.

If you're looking for masks, Costa suggested getting to their stores as early as possible. Calling ahead will also help to confirm whether the store you're heading to has the N95 masks in stock.